New life coming at the Boneyard

After years of playing on an uneven field full of gofer holes, the Bulldogs will start next season on a brand-new football field, according to Gridley Unified School District Superintendent Rick Rubino.
The biggest reason for the renovation is player safety. The field has not seen any significant work done in about ten years, said Rubino.
Rubino says the major problem has been gofer holes because of the field’s location in an agricultural area. Another reason for renovation, Rubino says, that a number of different grasses had taken root on the field, which effects playability and safety.
The project began with killing off and removing those different grasses, then the top layer of dirt was removed and approximately 450 yards of new topsoil was added to the field.
Rubino says that field will crown in the center of the field, approximately nine inches higher than edges of the field. This will allow the water to run off from the center of the field to the edges, preventing significant wear and tear during the rainy months.
The field will be lined with Bermuda grass sod between the hash marks, while Bermuda sprig will be planted outside of the hash marks and behind the goalposts. The hardier Bermuda grass, which is very dense and intertwines, is typically the recommended grass-type for football fields that tend to experience significant deterioration after the first couple of games. Rubino says it is much more cost effective.
The Gridley School Board approved a contract with Barrow’s Landscaping, Inc. to do the field renovations back in April. The approximate cost of the field renovations is just under $60,000. The funding for renovations came from redevelopment funding.
The field should be ready by September for the kickoff of the 2013 season.